Grinder Discs and Wheels
Grinder Wheels come in variety of different shape, For example for grinding, cutting and sanding.
Worry not, We are here to help you choose the right wheel for any task in mind.
Metal cutting wheels come in variety of sizes. The size refers to the diameter of the wheel, which ranges from 3” - 22”. Amongst these, 4.5” wheels are the most popular.
Another feature used to differentiate cut off wheels is the arbor size. Arbor is the diameter of the whole in the centre of the disc. Most discs have either a 5/8” or 7/8” arbor size. Nowadays, most tools require a disc with 7/8” arbor.
Moreover, metal cut off wheels come in variety of thicknesses. Thinner wheels such as 3/64” enables fast efficient cutting on stainless steel and thin metals. For cutting heavier metals, 1/16” or 1/8” cutting wheels are used. As the thicker discs cut slower due to friction, they are also great for making notches in metal.
Metal Grinding Wheels:
grinding wheels with a thickness of 1/4” are best for grinding off metal. These may also be use to make a notch in metals.
Flap discs are another type of metal grinding wheels, made up of numerous overlapping flaps attached to a disc. These abrasive discs are used for various abrasive applications including metal and wood working. The most common size for these wheels is 4.5 inch.
Material
Flap disc are most commonly made from zirconia oxide, ceramic alumina and aluminum oxide.
Ceramic Alumina: This material resharpens during operation as a result it provides efficient cutting. Ceramic alumina makes the disc very durable.
Zirconia Oxide: This makes the flap disc great for carbon and mild steel applications. Zirconia is also efficient and is great for fast cutting. It also lasts 3 - 5 times longer than aluminum oxide.
Aluminium Oxide: This is the original grit material used since 1970’s. These discs are very cheap, however they wear very fast. Aluminum Oxide flap discs do not provide the quality that the other 2 materials provide.
Type
Flap discs come in two shapes of flat and curved. The flat type is referred to as T-27 and is mostly used for outside corners. The curved types is referred to as T-29 which is mainly used for grinding contours and edges. T-29 is better choice when speed is a priority.
Grit
Flap disc commonly come in the following grits: 40,60,80 and 120. These girt sizes are offered to fulfill various applications. Lower girt numbers are used for stock removal and common grinding. While the higher grit numbers are used to achieve a smooth finish.
Diamond cutting wheels are used for cutting concrete, tile, stone etc. These wheels are design differently base on their purposes. The most common types are list below"
Segmented diamond wheel: These discs are called segmented, due to the diamond segments present on the edge of the disc. These discs offer a fast and relatively smooth cut, but chipping may still occur. The space between each segment improves the air flow and helps with heat deception; as a result enhancing the cutting performance. They are also durable with long life time.
Continuous: As you could guess, these discs have a solid continuous edge. This is best for cutting soft materials such as porcelain and tiles.
Turbo: they are typically used to cut materials with soft or medium bonds. These blades are continuous on the edge that is serrated. This serrated edge combines the best qualities of segmented and continues blades to provide a faster smooth cut.
Diamond Grinder Cup Wheel:
Diamond grinder cup wheel looks like a cup and with diamond segments. This wheel is used to mainly used for grinding concrete. The segmented design improves the performance of the wheel by offering more air flow and heat deception.
This document was last updated on January 16, 2020.